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The 34th edition of the Annie E. Casey Foundation's KIDS COUNT® Data Book describes how the country's lack of affordable and accessible child care negatively affects children, families and U.S. businesses. This year's publication continues to present national and state data across four domains--economic well-being, education, health and family and community--and ranks states in overall child well-being. The report includes pre-pandemic figures as well as more recent statistics, and shares the latest information of its kind available. [Foreword by Lisa M. Hamilton. For "KIDS COUNT Data Book, 2022: State Trends in Child Well-Being," see ED625969.]

"The Status of Women in North Carolina: Poverty and Opportunity" is the final publication in a four-part series of publications on women's status in North Carolina. The report builds on the Institute for Women's Policy Research's "Status of Women in the States" initiative, which has sought to measure women's economic, social, and political progress at the state and federal levels. This report provides data and analysis on several aspects of North Carolina women in the areas of poverty, economic security, access to opportunities, and support that helps women and families achieve economic stability. This report also examines data on topics such as poverty by household type, home ownership and houselessness, the number of public assistance recipients, and the impact of the pandemic on women in North Carolina. Each of these indicators are key components of poverty and opportunities for North Carolina women. Without adequate education, public support, or opportunities for advancement and entrepreneurship, women and families are more likely to face conditions of poverty. Throughout this report, data are analyzed by counties in North Carolina (when available) and disaggregated by racial and ethnic groups. The final installment in a series of four publications, this report provides data and policy recommendations to improve the status of women in North Carolina--with a focus on poverty and opportunity. The first three reports focused on employment and earnings, health and wellness, and political participation. This series aims to provide critical data that can help build economic security and overall well-being among women in North Carolina. The reports serve as a resource that may be used to make data-driven decisions about how to shape public policies, prioritize investments, and set programmatic goals to improve the lives of women and families. This Poverty and Opportunity report highlights the status of women at the intersections of health, financial well-being, and education. These factors play a major role in determining the overall economic security of women and their families. [For "The Status of Women in North Carolina: Employment and Earnings," see ED627024. For "Health and Wellness," see ED627023. For "Political Participation," see ED627022.]

The 33rd edition of the Annie E. Casey Foundation's KIDS COUNT® Data Book describes how children in America are in the midst of a mental health crisis, struggling with anxiety and depression at unprecedented levels. This year's publication continues to present national and state data across four domains -- economic well-being, education, health and family and community -- and ranks states in overall child well-being. The report includes pre-pandemic figures as well as more recent statistics, and shares the latest information of its kind available. [The foreword is written by Lisa M. Hamilton. For "KIDS COUNT Data Book, 2021: State Trends in Child Well-Being," see ED613636.]

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the way Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs operate in unprecedented ways. This brief has two purposes: (1) To capture some of the adaptations and innovations that programs designed to meet the rapidly evolving circumstances of the pandemic; and (2) To highlight promising practices and pose design questions for programs to explore, refine, and possibly test as next steps. Throughout the pandemic, Mathematica collected data from TANF programs to understand the challenges they faced, the innovations they developed, and the promising strategies that were emerging. Two primary sources were collected for these data. First, they documented the experiences and topics described during virtual learning community groups with state and local TANF program leaders and staff, held between May and September 2020. Second, they conducted seven web-based surveys with TANF program leaders and staff between January and March 2021, addressing topics such as office safety and reopening, use of technology, staff and participant well-being, and performance and accountability, among others.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused one of the worst economic crises since the Great Depression. Although countries responded quickly to support displaced workers with assistance packages and funding for education and training, additional measures might be needed. Each country's economic recovery will most likely depend on how well its workforce is prepared to meet the needs of the changed labor market. Providing workers with opportunities to upskill or reskill is of major importance in meeting these challenges and improving low- and middle-skilled workers' reemployment prospects. This qualitative study examines measures taken in response to COVID-19 in adult education and training (AET) in seven countries. The findings are based on key informant interviews with international experts and online sources they provided. Some countries have increased government funding for vocational and continuing education or offered financial support for post-secondary students while others have provided funds to employers to offer training and retraining for their employees. [This paper was published in: "Widening Participation and Lifelong Learning" v23 n1 p201-210 Jun 2021.]

This report presents data on children under age six who are experiencing homelessness at the national level and in the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. It uses data collected from 2018 to 2019 by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) and the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and by the U.S. Department of Education (ED). It also includes publicly available data from the U.S. Census Bureau (Census), the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) (2020), and from the Annie E. Casey Foundation (2018). In January 2016, ACF released "Early Childhood Homelessness 50-State Profiles" as part of an interagency early childhood workgroup of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH), which included member agencies ACF and ASPE within HHS, ED, HUD, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). ACF released a second state profile report in 2017 and then ED issued annual reports in 2018, 2019, and 2020. This 2018-19 report presents the data by jurisdiction to inform policymakers, practitioners, and researchers on young children experiencing homelessness. Homeless children and youths lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence. Subtitle VII-B of the "McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act" (McKinney-Vento) offers support for states, outlying areas, and the Bureau of Indian Education to ensure that children and youth experiencing homelessness have equal access to a free and appropriate public education. It was amended through the "Every Student Succeeds Act" in 2015, and is administered by ED. Having this data helps policymakers and the public understand the evolving prevalence and nature of early childhood homelessness. [For "Early Childhood Homelessness State Profiles: Data Collected in 2017-2018," see ED609095.]

The 2021 Youth Transition Report underscores the persistent and pernicious gap between youth and young adults with disabilities and those without disabilities on measures of success in education, employment, opportunity, and poverty. While data and reports exist for the working-age adult population and children with disabilities, the Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL) recognized a lack of information specific to the youth and young adult population in the 14-24 age group. IEL's Youth Transition Report addresses this need by presenting an annual snapshot of the outcome gaps between youth and young adults with disabilities and those without disabilities, including those opportunity youth whom the education and workforce systems have not adequately served and supported. This report consists of the status of the selected population, education, employment, opportunity youth, and poverty indicators. This report includes the analysis of key educational and employment indicators for youth and young adults with and without disabilities at both national and state levels. [For the 2020 report, see ED615626.]

Since UNESCO's Salamanca Declaration in 1994, inclusive education has progressively attracted attention in international debates around education policy. While some evidence exists on the positive impact that inclusive education reforms can have on the academic and personal outcomes of diverse students -- and in particular of students with special education needs -- limited information is available on the economic sustainability of such reforms. Starting from the literature on the correlations between education and individuals' life outcomes, this paper reviews the existing evidence on the potential benefits and costs of inclusive education reforms. Specifically, the paper discusses the evidence on the shortcomings of current education settings for diverse groups of students -- with specific sections on students with special education needs; immigrant and refugee students; ethnic groups, national minorities and Indigenous peoples; gifted students; female and male students; and LGBTQI+ (which stands for 'lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex') students. It highlights the individual and societal costs deriving from the low academic, social and emotional outcomes of these students and the socio-economic costs these yield for societies. Where possible, the paper also presents evidence on the effects of inclusive education reforms on diverse student groups.

This report examines the status of women in North Carolina in terms of their employment, earnings, and occupations. The report includes an Employment & Earnings Composite Index comprised of four indicators--women's median annual earnings, the gender wage ratio, women's labor force participation rate, and the share of employed women in managerial or professional occupations--that provide a basis to rank and grade each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The report explores trends over time in North Carolina and, whenever possible, analyzes data by county and metropolitan area and differences by race and ethnicity. "The Status of Women in North Carolina: Employment & Earnings" is the first report in a series of four publications that discuss data and recommend policies to improve North Carolina women's status in several key areas. As a resource for advocates, employers, philanthropists, policymakers, and other stakeholders, "The Status of Women in North Carolina" series provides the research and analysis necessary to make data-driven decisions about how to prioritize investments, set programmatic goals and strategies, and shape public policies to improve the lives of women and families. [This report was supported by Planned Parenthood South Atlantic. For "The Status of Women in North Carolina: Health and Wellness," see ED627023. For "Political Participation," see ED627022. For "Poverty and Opportunity," see ED627021.]

"The Condition of Education 2018" is a congressionally mandated annual report summarizing the latest data on education in the United States. This report is designed to help policymakers and the public monitor educational progress. This report contains indicators on the state of education in the United States, from prekindergarten through postsecondary education, as well as labor force outcomes and international comparisons. This year's report includes 47 indicators on topics ranging from prekindergarten through postsecondary education, as well as labor force outcomes and international comparisons. In addition to the regularly updated annual indicators, this year's spotlight indicators highlight new findings from recent the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) surveys: (1) The first spotlight indicator examines the choices and costs that families face as they select early childhood care arrangements; (2) The second spotlight describes the characteristics of teachers who entered the teaching profession through an alternative route to certification program; and (3) The third spotlight presents data on average student loan balances for students completing graduate degrees. "The Condition" includes an "At a Glance section," which allows readers to quickly make comparisons within and across indicators, and a "Highlights" section, which captures key findings from each indicator. The report contains a "Reader's Guide," a "Glossary," and a "Guide to Sources" that provide additional background information. Each indicator provides links to the source "data tables" used to produce the analyses. As new data are released throughout the year, indicators will be updated and made available on "The Condition of Education" website. [For the 2017 report, "The Condition of Education 2017. NCES 2017-144," see ED574257.]

"The Condition of Education 2017" is a congressionally mandated annual report summarizing the latest data on education in the United States. This report is designed to help policymakers and the public monitor educational progress. This year's report includes 50 indicators on topics ranging from prekindergarten through postsecondary education, as well as labor force outcomes and international comparisons. "The Condition" includes an "At a Glance" section, which allows readers to quickly make comparisons within and across indicators, and a "Highlights" section, which captures a key finding or set of findings from each indicator. The report contains a "Reader's Guide," a "Glossary," and a "Guide to Data Sources" that provide additional information to help place the indicators in context. In addition, each indicator references the data tables that were used to produce the indicator, most of which are in the "Digest of Education Statistics." In addition to the regularly updated annual indicators, this year's report highlights innovative data collections and analyses from across the Center: (1) The first spotlight indicator examines the relationship between student risk factors at kindergarten entry (poverty and low parent educational attainment) and academic achievement in early elementary school; (2) The second spotlight indicator draws on administrative data from the Center's EDFacts data collection and finds that 2.5 percent of students in U.S. public elementary and secondary schools were reported as homeless in 2014-15; (3) The third spotlight indicator draws on longitudinal data from the Beginning Postsecondary Students Study to examine the rates at which first-time college students persist toward completion of a degree or certificate; and (4) The fourth spotlight indicator examines how disability rates for U.S. adults vary by educational attainment, finding that 16 percent of 25- to 64-year-olds who had not completed high school had one or more disabilities in 2015, compared to 4 percent of those who had completed a bachelor's degree and 3 percent of those who had completed a master's or higher degree. In addition, two indicators provide insights from the Center's recent work on technology in education. The first previews key findings from the Center's upcoming report, "Student Access to Digital Learning Resources Outside of the Classroom." The second presents findings from the National Assessment of Educational Progress's 8th-grade Technology and Engineering Literacy (TEL) assessment. [For the 2016 report: "The Condition of Education 2016. NCES 2016-144," see ED565888.]

This study estimated the economic penalty that immigrant underemployment imposes, both in forgone earnings and tax payments, using U.S. Census Bureau data to analyze demographic characteristics and estimate the forgone earnings and taxes at federal, state, and local levels. It focuses on three groups of workers: (1) Immigrants who are foreign-educated college graduates; (2) Immigrants who are U.S.-educated college graduates; and (3) U.S.-born college graduates. The research produces findings nationally, as well as for seven states that include a mix of traditional immigrant destinations (California, Florida, New York, and Texas), a relatively new destination state (Washington), and two industrial states that have recently sought to attract skilled immigrants (Michigan and Ohio). Findings indicate that the underemployment of immigrant college graduates results in tens of billions of dollars in forgone earnings and taxes annually, which in turn affects our economy at every level by lowering productivity and consumer demand. Given that skills and education degrade over time if not put to productive use, brain waste can also have long-term detrimental effects on foreign-born workers. Highly skilled immigrants who cannot fully utilize their skills are less likely to earn family-sustaining wages and achieve financial stability for themselves and their families. Finding a way to tap underutilized skills would have a positive impact on national and local economies. [For the full report, see ED586143.]

This study estimated the economic penalty that immigrant underemployment imposes, both in forgone earnings and tax payments, using U.S. Census Bureau data to analyze demographic characteristics and estimate the forgone earnings and taxes at federal, state, and local levels. It focuses on three groups of workers: (1) Immigrants who are foreign-educated college graduates; (2) Immigrants who are U.S.-educated college graduates; and (3) U.S.-born college graduates. The research produces findings nationally, as well as for seven states that include a mix of traditional immigrant destinations (California, Florida, New York, and Texas), a relatively new destination state (Washington), and two industrial states that have recently sought to attract skilled immigrants (Michigan and Ohio). Findings indicate that the underemployment of immigrant college graduates results in tens of billions of dollars in forgone earnings and taxes annually, which in turn affects our economy at every level by lowering productivity and consumer demand. Given that skills and education degrade over time if not put to productive use, brain waste can also have long-term detrimental effects on foreign-born workers. Highly skilled immigrants who cannot fully utilize their skills are less likely to earn family-sustaining wages and achieve financial stability for themselves and their families. Finding a way to tap underutilized skills would have a positive impact on national and local economies. [For the report in brief, see ED586142.]

"Status and Trends in the Education of Racial and Ethnic Groups" examines the educational progress and challenges students face in the United States by race/ethnicity. This report shows that, over time, students in the racial/ethnic groups of White, Black, Hispanic, Asian, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, American Indian/Alaska Native, and Two or more races have completed high school and continued their education in college in increasing numbers. Despite these gains, the rate of progress has varied among these racial/ethnic groups and differences by race/ethnicity persist in terms of increases in attainment and progress on key indicators of educational performance. The report begins with demographic information (Chapter 1) and then is organized roughly according to the chronology of an individual's education, starting with indicators on preprimary, elementary, and secondary participation (Chapter 2), and continuing with student achievement (Chapter 3), student behaviors and persistence in education (Chapter 4), postsecondary education (Chapter 5), and outcomes of education (Chapter 6). A guide to sources and a glossary are appended.

Individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI) often struggle to obtain competitive employment after sustaining a TBI, commonly as a result of the post-injury difficulties they exhibit (Andelic, Stevens, Sigurdardottir, Arango-Lasprilla, & Roe, 2009; Mansfield et al., 2015). The currently reported unemployment rate for people with TBI is approximately 60% (Cuthbert et al., 2015). Hence, the unemployment for individuals with TBI is considerably higher than for individuals without disabilities. Many adults with TBI seek assistance in gaining employment through post-acute rehabilitation. Post-acute rehabilitation services focus on helping individuals adjust to ongoing impairments and to re-enter their communities, workplaces, and education. Post-acute interventions are broadly classified into the following groups (Shames, Treger, Ring, & Giaquinto, 2007): residential community reintegration programs, comprehensive day treatment programs, and community re-entry programs that focus on vocational and social reintegration. This review focused on identifying the most effective type of intervention for returning individuals with TBI to work. The authors of this review drew on a wide range of databases, searched grey literature, included studies with a range of follow-up times, and focused on competitive employment outcomes among individuals with TBI regardless of the injury severity of the individuals. This review examined the effectiveness of vocational rehabilitation (VR) interventions to help adults with TBI attain competitive employment. Studies for this review were identified by searching 16 databases, including the Australian Education Index, CIRRIE--the Center for International Rehabilitation Research Information and Exchange Databases, the Academic Complete collection, EBSCOhost Research Databases, MEDLINE/PubMed, ProQuest, and 11 other databases. Unpublished papers and grey literature were also searched. Reference lists of papers included in the analysis and previous systematic reviews were searched. The following inclusion criteria were used for each potential study: (1) Studies are of interventions focused on assisting helping working-aged adults with TBI return to competitive employment, including self-employment. (2) Competitive employment had to be measured as an outcome. (3) Participants must have been between 18 and 65 years of age, experienced a non-penetrating TBI, been engaged in either full-time or part-time employment at time of injury, and been unemployed or on medical leave at time of receipt of the intervention. Studies that included individuals with other disabilities were included only if the results were provided for TBI participants separately from those with other disabilities. (4) Data had to be presented separately for competitively employed participants. (5) The design must be a randomized controlled trial (RCTs) or quasi-experimental design, with a treatment and a control/comparison group. Odds ratios and log odds ratios were computed and 95% confidence intervals were computed for each included study. Only datab for the primary outcome, competitive employment status, were used due to insufficient secondary outcome data. The literature search resulted in 6,941 unduplicated documents. From these 6,941 documents, 414 documents were selected for full-text review. From these 414 documents, 67 intervention reports were found, with only three return-to-work RCTs meeting inclusion criteria for this systematic review. The last search was conducted November 7, 2015. The three studies included in this review were RCTs with parallel interventions (Man et al., 2013; Salazar et al., 2000; Twamley et al., 2014, 2015). Man et al. (2013) compared two interventions, an artificial intelligent virtual reality-based training program (n = 17) and a psycho-educational vocational training system (n = 20) using a civilian population from China. Salazar et al. (2000) compared an in-hospital cognitive treatment (n = 67) to an in-home treatment (n = 53) for active U.S. military personnel. Twamley et al. (2014, 2015) compared a CogSMART Plus supported employment program (n = 21) to an enhanced supported employment program (n = 21) for U.S military veterans. Salazar and colleagues (2000) used active military samples and Twamley et al. (2014, 2015) used U.S. military veterans. Man and colleagues (2013) used civilians in China.The sample in Salazar et al. (2000) was predominantly African American and White. There were more Hispanic/Latino and White participants in the Twamley et al. (2014, 2015) study. Man and colleagues (2013) RCT did not report the ethnicity or race of its sample from China. The Twamley et al. (2014, 2015) and Man et al. (2013) studies reported severity of injury as mild to moderate. All studies were RCTs; however, blinding, incomplete data, and selective outcome reporting were of concern for all studies. Design, review status, publication type, and presence of control group were sufficient.Findings from this systematic review were inconclusive in that all odds ratios were not significant. Man et al. (2013) had the largest odds ratio (OR = 2.204, p = 0.264) but had the lowest employment rates (30%). Salazar et al. (2000) and Twamley et al. (2014, 2015) had odds ratios less than one. This indicated that the alternate interventions for Salazar et al. (OR = 0.514, p = 0.353) and Twamley et al. (OR = 0.817, p = 0.749) were more effective than the primary intervention. The employment rates for Salazar et al. and Twamley et al. ranged from 55% to 94%, which were rates higher than observed in Man et al. In sum, there were no significant odds ratios. Although all interventions evidenced positive average gains, no intervention was identified as more effective than another. All interventions showed positive average gains. However,the authors were unable to determine which intervention was most effective due to the small number of studies (n = 3). More experimental RCTs need to be conducted with interventions not included in this study. There are several recommendations for the direction of research concerning return-to-work for adults with TBI. First, studies of return-to-work VR interventions for adults with TBI must improve their quality of research by conducting RCTs. Second, separating competitive employment from education would provide a more accurate estimate of impact on return to work. Third, research is needed with other populations outside the United States and civilian samples. Last, future return-to-work VR studies should report time to employment, hours worked, separate rates of competitive employment, sheltered employment, educational training, and continued follow-ups at 12 months or more.

The Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) is a cyclical, large-scale study of adult skills and life experiences focusing on education and employment. Nationally representative samples of adults between the ages of 16 and 65 are administered an assessment of literacy, numeracy, and problem solving in technology rich environments, as well as survey questions about their educational background, work history, the skills they use on the job and at home, their civic engagement, and sense of their health and well-being. The results are used to compare participating countries on the skills capacities of their workforce-aged adults and to learn more about relationships between educational background and employment and other outcomes. PIAAC is coordinated by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and developed by participating countries with the support of the OECD. PIAAC was first administered in 2011-12 in the United States and 23 other countries. The purpose of this report is to present selected results from the first and second rounds of the U.S. PIAAC household data collection (PIAAC 2012/2014). PIAAC results are reported in two ways: (1) as scale scores (estimated on a 0-500 scale) in the three domains of literacy, numeracy, and problem solving in technology-rich environments; and (2) as percentages of adults reaching the proficiency levels established for each of these domains. PIAAC reports five proficiency levels for literacy and numeracy (Below level 1, Level 1, Level 2, Level 3, and Level 4/5) and four levels for problem solving in technology-rich environments (Below level 1, Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3). The OECD provides detailed descriptions of the types of skills that can be performed at each level. For example, adults at Level 1 in literacy can "read relatively short…texts to locate a single piece of information that is identical to or synonymous with the information given in the question or directive" and can "enter personal information onto a document" when "[l]ittle, if any, competing information is present." However, adults at Level 1 typically are not successful performing skills at the higher levels (e.g., "compare and contrast or reason about information requested" or "navigate within digital texts to access and identify information from various parts of a document," both of which are Level 2 literacy skills). Appendix B provides the OECD's detailed descriptions of these levels along with examples of assessment items at each level. This report follows OECD reporting conventions by combining the top two proficiency levels (Levels 4 and 5) for the literacy and numeracy scales (OECD 2013). Across all countries, only 2 percent or less of adults performed at Level 5 in literacy and numeracy. This report also provides an international average for scale scores and proficiency levels for variables that are internationally comparable. The international averages in figures 3, 4, 5, 6, and 8 represent the averages for all participating countries and regions shown in this report and may differ slightly from the international averages reported in the 2012 NCES "First Look."

The Commission on Education and Employment Opportunities for Young People (Youth Commission) aims to find ways to improve education and employment opportunities for England's 16-24-year olds. The Commission's first report (see ED604277) identified five key challenges: (1) Better supporting 700,000 young people not in education, employment or training; (2) Increasing the number of people qualified to at least Level 3; (3) Improving attainment in literacy and numeracy and other basic skills; (4) Creating a diversity of higher level learning routes through life; and (5) Support job quality, career progression, and economic security. This report provides case study evidence of national and international approaches to youth education and employment, contextualising them in the current situation in England, and drawing out key lessons. These case studies (from Switzerland, Glasgow (Scotland), Germany, Newcastle (England), France, Spain, US, and the UK) offer lessons both in building programmes, and in designing systems in which such programmes can be delivered. Taken together they provide a framework for exploring ways in which an effective and integrated system for delivering practical, sustainable and valuable support for young people can be created. [The Learning and Work Institute's Youth Commission will run for one year and is supported by Association of Colleges, Capital City Colleges Group, London SouthBank University, NOCN and Prospects.]

America faces many challenges in working together to restore the promise of economic growth and security for the country, U.S. families and the American worker. The challenges are both real and serious. Despite hopeful signs of economic recovery, America remains mired in the deepest jobs crisis since the 1930s. One out of every 12 Americans who are willing and able to work cannot find a job. Approximately 13 million Americans remain unemployed. Frustrated and discouraged, millions more have simply given up looking for work altogether. To be sure, the severe job losses experienced during the depths of the 2007-2009 recession have ended, and the unemployment rate fell from 9.4 percent in December 2010 to 8.5 percent in December 2011. But vigorous and sustained job creation has not returned at the level required to put America back to work, and the numbers of long-term unemployed remain at record levels. The CEOs of Business Roundtable (BRT) have a plan to revitalize U.S. economic growth and job creation. They believe that America's business leaders have an obligation to bring their real-world experience on economic matters to public policy, especially in a time of widespread joblessness and economic distress. Job creation depends on economic growth, which cannot occur unless businesses are free to innovate, invest and grow. "Taking Action for America" is a comprehensive plan to jump-start new business investment and knock down barriers to economic growth. It includes pragmatic, actionable recommendations organized into three broad categories: (1) American Global Leadership, which must be secured through: (a) sound fiscal policy; (b) smarter regulation; and (c) competitive taxation; (2) American Advantages, which depend on: (a) open markets for international trade and investment; (b) reliable, affordable energy; (c) protecting U.S. technology assets with effective cybersecurity; and (d) contributions of highly educated world talent; and (3) American Workers and Families, who deserve policies that promote: (a) a skilled, prepared workforce; (b) affordable, quality health care; and (c) stable policies that ensure retirement security. Individual sections contain endnotes.

This report provides a portrait of educational attainment in the United States based on data collected in the 2009 American Community Survey (ACS) and the 2005-2009 ACS 5-year estimates. It also uses data from the Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC) to the Current Population Survey (CPS) collected in 2009 and earlier, as well as monthly data from the CPS. Prior to 2007, U.S. Census Bureau reports on educational attainment were based on data primarily from the CPS. The ACS is now used as the main source of educational attainment data because it has a larger sample and provides more reliable statistics for small levels of geography. The report also provides estimates of educational attainment in the United States, including comparisons by demographic characteristics such as age, sex, race, and Hispanic origin. Information about educational attainment among the native-born and foreign-born populations is included. This report also presents a geographic picture of educational attainment with estimates by region and state. Workers' median earnings by educational attainment are also addressed, including differences by sex, race, and Hispanic origin, as well as unemployment rates by educational attainment. Historical data are included to present some general trends over time. Highlights of this report include: (1) In 2009, more than 4 out of 5 (85 percent) adults aged 25 and over reported having at least a high school diploma or its equivalent, while over 1 in 4 (28 percent) reported a bachelor's degree or higher. This reflects more than a three-fold increase in high school attainment and more than a five-fold increase in college attainment since the Census Bureau first collected educational attainment data in 1940; (2) A larger proportion of women than men had completed high school or more education. A larger proportion of men had received at least a bachelor's degree. However, because women 25 years old and over outnumber men aged 25 and over, the number of women with bachelor's degrees is larger than the number of men with these degrees. Among people aged 25 to 34, the percentage of women with a bachelor's degree or higher was 35 percent compared with 27 percent of men; (3) Differences in educational attainment by race and Hispanic origin existed. Attainment for non-Hispanic Whites and Asians was higher than attainment for Blacks and Hispanics; (4) Educational attainment varied by nativity. About 89 percent of the native-born population had completed at least high school, compared with 68 percent of the foreign-born population. More native-born than foreign-born adults reported completing at least a bachelor's degree (28 percent and 27 percent, respectively); (5) Educational attainment of foreign-born Hispanics was lower than all other groups. The percentage of foreign-born Hispanics who had completed at least high school was 48 percent; (6) The Midwest had the highest percentage of adults reporting that they completed high school or more education, and the Northeast had the highest percentage with a bachelor's degree or more education; (7) Among all workers, those with a bachelor's degree on average earned about $20,000 more per year than workers with a high school diploma or a General Educational Development (GED) certificate. Non-Hispanic Whites earned more than other race groups and more than Hispanics at the high school level, while earnings at the bachelor's and advanced degree level were highest for Asians. Black and Hispanic workers earned less at nearly all attainment levels; and (8) Men earned more than women at each level of educational attainment. (Contains 5 figures, 3 tables and 27 footnotes.)

The Annie E. Casey Foundation's 2012 KIDS COUNT[R] Data Book shows both promising progress and discouraging setbacks for the nation's children: While their academic achievement and health improved in most states, their economic well-being continued to decline. This year's Data Book uses an updated index of 16 indicators of child well-being, organized into four categories: Economic Well-Being, Health, Education, and Family and Community. The new methodology reflects the tremendous advances in child development research since the first KIDS COUNT Data Book in 1990. Appended are: (1) Child Well-Being Rankings; and (2) Data for 16 Indicators of Child Well-Being. (Contains 5 figures and 29 endnotes.) [For "KIDS COUNT Data Book, 2011: State Profiles of Child Well-Being. America's Children, America's Challenge: Promoting Opportunity for the Next Generation," see ED522925.]

This report seeks to give a balanced view of the issues that exist for young men of color as identified by the research. Its particular value is that it looks at six distinct pathways that young men of color--and all students--take after high school and arranges the research in this way, and for the first time synthesizes the literature for males of all four minority groups--African Americans, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, Hispanics/Latinos and Native Americans and Alaska Natives in one place. In attempting to solve the crisis facing young men of color in the United States, everyone must rely on more than just outcome measures to find solutions. Data will help them identify the issues, but much more thought and research will be needed to find solutions. It is imperative that individuals build a body of literature about young men of color that will help them get to the "why" behind the data. This report synthesizes the available literature, data and case studies relating to minority male achievement. Appended are: (1) List of Tables; and (2) List of Figures. (Contains 36 figures, 8 tables and 2 footnotes.) [Foreword by Ronald A. Williams. For related report, "The Educational Experience of Young Men of Color: Capturing the Student Voice," see ED521426.]

In the midst of the global recession, how have national governments viewed the role of higher education in their evolving strategies for economic recovery? Demand for higher education generally goes up during economic downturns. Which nations have proactively protected funding for their universities and colleges to help maintain access, to help retrain workers, and to mitigate unemployment rates? And which nations have simply made large funding cuts for higher education in light of the severe downturn in tax revenues? This essay provides a moment-in-time review of the fate of higher education among a number of OECD nations and other countries, with a particular focus on the United States, and on California--the largest state in terms of population "and" in the size of its economy. Preliminary indicators show that most nations have not thus far resorted to uncoordinated cutting of funding for higher education that we generally see in US state systems. Their political leaders see higher education as a key to short-term economic recovery, long-term competitiveness, and often their own political viability--particularly in nations with upcoming elections. Further, although this is speculative, it appears that many nations are using the economic downturn to actually accelerate reform policies, some intended to promote efficiencies, but most focused on improving the quality of their university sector and promoting innovation in their economies. One might postulate that the decisions made today and in reaction to the "Great Recession" by nations will likely speed up global shifts in the race to develop human capital, with the US probably losing some ground. The Obama administration's first stimulus package helped mitigate large state budget cuts to public services in 2009-10 and to support expanded enrollments largely at the community college level. But it was not enough to avoid having universities and colleges lay off faculty and staff, reduce salaries and benefits, often eliminating course offerings that slow student progress towards a degree, or making sizable reductions in access in states such as California. States have very limited ability to borrow funds for operating costs, making the federal government the last resort. "In short, how state budgets go, so goes US higher education; whereas most national systems of higher education financing is tied to national budgets with an ability to borrow." Without the current stimulus funding, the impact on access and maintaining the health of America's universities would have been even more devastating. But that money will be largely spent by the 2011 fiscal year (Oct 2010-Sept 2011), unless Congress and the White House renew funding support on a similar scale for states that are coping with projected large budget gaps. That now seems unlikely. The Obama administration announced its proposed 2011 budget in February, including $25 billion in state aid targeted for Medicaid. This is a modest contribution to states that face projected cumulative budget deficits of $142 billion in 2011, and there is uncertainty regarding the final federal budget. This is because Obama's proposal will be debated and voted on in a Congress increasingly focused on stemming the tide of rising federal budget deficits. Without substantially more federal aid to state governments, many public colleges and universities will face another major round of budget cuts. There is the prospect that higher education degree production rates in the US will dip in the near term, particularly in states like California that have substantially reduced access to higher education even as enrollment demand has gone up. (Contains 49 footnotes and 4 figures.) [A version of this paper was presented at the Beijing Forum, University of Peking, November 7, 2009.]

The numbers of poor and low income students in the public schools of the South and nation have substantially increased during the last decade. Today a majority of the South's public school students are low income, and nationwide more than 45 percent of the public school children are also eligible for free or reduced lunches due to low family income. A large, growing number of children live in destitute, often desperate conditions across the country--girls and boys under the age of 18 whose families and households have incomes below 50 percent of the national poverty threshold. These children include the homeless and a much larger number of children in transitory or fragile households where each person survives on less than seven or eight dollars a day. These children live in extreme poverty in the United States. This report examines the latest census data on children in extreme poverty in the South and the nation. It summarizes and analyzes patterns of extreme child poverty in the states and in most US counties. It also estimates how the recent recession has expanded the number of children in extreme poverty in both the South and the nation. The report uses data for all children--not just school-age children. It examines patterns and conditions in more than 2,700 public school districts with almost 32 million students enrolled across the United States. Finally, the report addresses some of the implications of these findings for local, state, and federal policies in education, and it offers specific conclusions and recommendations. Appended are: (1) Percentage of Children in Extreme Poverty by State; (2) Nation's 100 School Districts with Highest Reported Rates of Extreme Child Poverty; (3) Nation's School Districts Reporting No Extreme Child Poverty; (4) Estimated Increase of Children in Extreme Poverty by State; (5) State Indicators of Recent Economic Hardship; and (6) Notes on Data, Estimates, and Methods. A bibliography is included. (Contains 11 footnotes.) [For "The Worst of Times: Children in Extreme Poverty in the South and Nation. Special Summary," see ED524095.]

There are growing pressures for community colleges and regional universities to accommodate the rise in student enrollment. The purpose of this study was to evaluate access and funding issues across public higher education institutions in the United States. Responses to a survey, conducted by the Education Policy Center at the University of Alabama, represented the perceptions of the 51 state community college directors. Results showed that a majority of the respondents agreed that the recession created a decline in state funding for higher education and continued to be a primary concern; many institutions increased tuition due to financial constraints; capping enrollment has not occurred in smaller states but was trending in larger states; many universities were strongly encouraging students to enroll in community colleges; and, Pell grant increases contributed to college completion efforts and access for under-served populations. Additionally, high unemployment and the economic recession overwhelmed community colleges in terms of workplace training demands, resulting in the elimination of high-cost programs and an increase in streamlined job (non-credit) training programs. Findings also showed that for-profit colleges did not have the increasing enrollment challenges that community colleges considered. Community colleges will need to determine ways to increase funding without jeopardizing access for students in higher education. Contents of this paper include: (1) Introduction (James E. McLean); (2) Foreword (Charles N. Earl); (3) Executive Summary; (4) Context for the 2010 Survey (Stephen G. Katsinas); (5) What Does It All Mean? (Janice N. Friedel); (6) Responses to the Survey (Reaction from Michael T. Miller, Reflections on the Impact of These Findings on Hispanic Serving Institutions--Reaction from Bren D. Cejda, Reaction from Byron Cook, Response to 2010 National Survey of Finance and Access Issues by Roger Goodman, Higher Education Access and Finance: A Missouri Perspective by Zelema Harris, and Reaction from Daniel J. Hurley); (7) Methodology; (8) Caveats to Interpreting Survey Results; (9) Findings: Part One--The Year Just Concluded (FY 2009-10); (10) Findings: Part Two--Predictions for Next Year (FY 2010-11); and (11) Part Three: Special Section. Four appendixes include: (1) States with and without Significant Local Support; (2) General Budget Outlook; (3) Additional Comments; and (4) References. (Contains 26 tables and 7 charts.) [Abstract modified to meet ERIC guidelines.]

In 2007, nearly one in five or 18 percent of children in the U.S. lived in poverty (KIDS COUNT Data Center, 2009). Many of these children come from minority backgrounds. African American (35 percent), American Indian (33 percent) and Latino (27 percent) children are more likely to live in poverty than their white (11 percent) and Asian (12 percent) counterparts (KIDS COUNT Data Center, 2009). Although many children live in poverty, many more lack a decent standard of living as their families hover near the poverty line or move in and out of official poverty from year to year. Today, as the nation grapples with the consequences of a financial crisis and recession many economists consider worse than any since the 1930s, there is renewed focus on poverty and the public policies affecting low-income families with children. Many state initiatives are underway to reduce family and child poverty, and several states are moving toward more comprehensive strategies by setting targets, tracking poverty rates, and putting diverse initiatives into place. Some are directing intensive educational services to poor and low-income children to help them overcome the disadvantages associated with economic hardship (National Governors Association, 2008). This "KIDS COUNT Indicator Brief" describes five strategies that hold promise for lifting many families and children out of poverty, and helping them move toward greater economic security: (1) Building political will to reduce child poverty; (2) Making work pay; (3) Helping low-income families keep more of what they earn; (4) Strengthening the safety net; and (5) Helping low-income families build up savings and assets. (Lists 10 online resources.)

This 2009 KIDS COUNT Data Brief features highlights of the enhanced, mobile-friendly Data Center; data on the 10 key indicators of child well-being for all U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and many cities, counties, and school districts; and a summary of this year's essay, which calls for improvements to the nation's ability to design and evaluate programs aimed at the needs of children and families living in poverty.

A request from the Ford Foundation prompted a fourth and final assessment of the demonstration phase of the Rural Community College Initiative (RCCI), established by the Ford Foundation. Between 1994 to 2002, 24 community colleges answered the foundation's charge to improve access to higher education and to expand the economic development of their regions. Each college was located in an economically distressed part of the United States--Appalachia, the Delta/South region, the Southwest, and tribal reservations of the Northern Plains. Questions of interest in the Phase IV assessment, the final stage of RCCI research, focused on the effect and benefit sustained by the colleges as a result of their participation. Using a mixed method approach, the research team conducted case studies with eight colleges and used federal data sets to consider how these colleges progressed on economic and access indicators in comparison to like institutions. Colleges participating in the case studies were Mountain Empire Community College and Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College in the Appalachia region, Southeastern Community College and Coahoma Community College in the Delta/Southern region, Southwest Texas Junior College and Laredo Community College in the Southwest region, and Sitting Bull College and Fort Peck Community College representing the tribal colleges and universities of the Northern Plains. The assessment findings show that RCCI values were sustained through four major pathways: the colleges embraced the role of change agent, adopted a mission focus on planning, found ways to enhance student success, and developed creative efforts to sustain change. This report expands on each of these four themes. Overall, the colleges tended to do as well as, and in some cases, better than their comparison colleges on indicators of enrollment and economic factors. Three findings may be of particular interest to funding agencies. The first finding indicates that encouragement of local buy-in for change initiatives appears to result in the loss of identity for the funding agencies. As the colleges successfully integrated the changes within their own institutional structure over time, it became difficult to draw causal relationships between the sustained change and the funding identity--RCCI. The second finding was that sustained change allowed the institutions to grow as organizations, prompting them to identify new needs that required additional resources. This recognition of the need for "more" should be interpreted not as dependency on the external funder, but as a sign of sustained growth. The final finding was that the greatest influence this initiative had on the colleges was to build the capacity of these colleges to try new things and to succeed. In conclusion, RCCI appears to have stimulated, supported, and sustained impressive improvements in access and economic development in distressed rural communities, but over time these improvements were perhaps at the cost of branding. Whether that represents a problem or is evidence of success is a question for the funder. Appendices include: (1) RCCI Colleges; (2) College Case Reports; (3) Methodology; and (4) RCCI Focus Group Summary. (Contains 11 figures.) [This paper was written with assistance of Aimee Heeter, Lilia Santiague, Susan Johnson, and Lynn Barnett.]

This paper presents key indicators of educational and employment status for students making the transition from adolescence to early adulthood in selected Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries. The data that are presented include international comparisons of student achievement, educational attainment, literacy and unemployment among young adults. Data on expenditures for education are presented as a measure of national investment in education. It is a selective account, presenting data on important educational markers from international surveys and collections, offered as representative of key aspects of transitioning from education to the workforce in each country. To ensure comparability of data across countries, the data are derived from international surveys, or data collection efforts in which data have been harmonized. The time frame to which the data refer is the middle of the 1990s, between 1994-96. The countries chosen for comparison are OECD members that are representative of the regions of Europe (Northern, Central, Southern, and Eastern), English-speaking countries, and Asia. The coverage of countries varies by source, as the same countries did not participate in each of the surveys and data collections. However, every effort was made to include seven countries that are of particular interest, and they are the focus of the discussion in the text and appear in the figures when data are available: the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Italy. An appendix presents: Description of School Systems in Seven Countries.